Pokemon Unknown Origins: Rise of Shadow
by Knight-Dawn
Summary: Ash and Pikachu are in for the adventure of a lifetime! Dark forces are at work, and it's up to the Chosen One to save the day through the power of Aura... Only Ash isn't sure he can, if it means giving up his dream to be a Pokemon Master... R&R! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One:  
_

_It was dark and a cold rain fell... It was impossible to see more than a pace away from where you stood, and there was nothing but a flat surface that seemed to stretch for miles. In truth, it could be only a small platform, but in the dark and rain direction and size were as nothing._

"_Ash Ketchum." A strange voice came from the darkness._

_Ash turned, trying to find the source of the voice. "Yeah?" He asked._

"_You shouldn't be here... Everything that has ever happened to you... was never meant to happen."_

"_What- What do you mean?" Ash asked, shocked. Voices echoed in his mind, memories of things he'd done._

_...The day he'd first met Pikachu, his tenth birthday, and what he'd said then: "Heh... I love him already..."_

_...The Orange Islands and the Festival where he'd met Lugia and been the Chosen One._

_...Sammy, who he had met by chance because of Celibi time-traveling with the boy from forty years ago._

_...His first kiss, from the girl who could have been Bianca or Latias._

_...Meeting Lucario and discovering his abilities with Aura... Abilities he'd never told his friends about, but definitely still had._

_...The entire legend of Sir Aaron, which gave Ash chills. Why was his Aura the same as Sir Aaron's? What was it about the legends that resonated within him so?_

"_You'll learn soon enough..." The voice sighed, fading out into the darkness._

"_Wait!" Ash shouted. "Come back! ...Who are you?"_

"_You'll learn soon enough..." The voice echoed._

_And then, everything was gone._

Ash woke with a start, panting. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He'd been having strange dreams a lot the past few years... Ever since the whole Guardian of Aura incident. But this one was the strangest yet.

"Heh..." Ash laughed nervously. His voice was deeper than it had been on his journeys. He'd come home to take a break from traveling around the world for a while... Even heroes got homesick sometimes. Besides, he had lots of training to do if he were going to be ready for the upcoming tournament at Indigo Plateau. He wanted to win this time, to be one step closer to the dream he'd been chasing for years.

Which reminded him that today was a special day.

"Ash!" His mother called, knocking on his bedroom door. "Rise and shine, dear."

"I'm up already, Mom."

"Oh, are you? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." Ash grinned.

Delia walked in, smiling. "Well... Let's see... I know there's something different today. What in the world could it be..."

"It's my birthday, Mom. You know that."

She smiled. "Yes, that's it. Now... How old are you today...?"

Ash chuckled. "Come on, Mom. Quit kidding around."

"Sixteen, my goodness." Delia messed Ash's hair. "Sixteen already..."

"So, what did you get me?" Ash asked.

"Get ready and you'll see."

_You'll learn soon enough..._ Ash shivered.

Delia's brow wrinkled. "Everything all right, Ash?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine."

"Okay, hurry up and get ready. I have a surprise for you."

"Sure, Mom." She left and he quickly got ready for the day. After getting clothes on, he combed his hair. He still wore his trademark cap, even though he'd gotten taller and stronger. Actually, the clothes he put on for the day looked almost exactly like the clothes he'd worn at the start of his journey.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu peeked out from under Ash's pillow.

"Hey, buddy, you're finally up! Remember what today is?"

Pikachu smiled. "Pi Pika!"

Ash grinned. "I'll take that as a yes! You're right... We met six years ago today."

"Pika Pi!"

"Come on, Mom says she has a special present for me."

Pikachu jumped up onto Ash's shoulder, and the two of them proceeded downstairs. No sooner had Ash come into the living room, there was a knock at the front door. Delia smiled at him. "Why don't you get it, Ash?"

Ash shrugged, and opened the door. "Surprise!" Brock and Misty said together.

"Brock! Misty! You guys came for my birthday?"

"Yeah, you didn't honestly think we'd miss it, did you?" Misty asked.

"Well..." Ash smiled. "It's just that I haven't seen either of you for a while... Especially you, Misty."

"Aw, I'm getting tired of being a Gym Leader anyway, Ash. When you're ready to return to your journey, count me in."

"Me, too." Brock grinned.

"Happy birthday Ash!" Misty said, patting Pikachu on the head. "How's Pikachu been doing?"

"Great." Ash said.

"Pikachu!"

Misty laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear it." She looked at Ash closer. "Wow, you've changed a lot since I last saw you."

"Yeah, he's a young man now." Delia smiled sadly. "Looking more and more like his father every day."

Ash's face darkened. His mother rarely spoke of his father. She always seemed so sad when she thought of him... Ash wanted to change the subject. "Yeah... It's hard to believe it's been six years since I started my journey..."

Misty and Brock shared a glance. "What's wrong, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." Ash smiled. "Just... I was thinking about something, but it's not important. Come on in, let's start the celebration!"

His old friends smiled, and came in.

A lot of Ash's other friends joined them, too, like May and Max, Dawn, Richie, Todd, Tracy, Molly and her Dad... People he hadn't seen in a long time, people he was glad to see again. He was surprised that his Mom and the Professor managed to get them all together like this.

Later, everyone sat around a table to give Ash his birthday cake. Even Prof. Oak took time out of his busy schedule to stop by.

The cake was shaped like a Pikachu's face, to Pikachu's surprise, and baked by Delia.

"Happy sixteenth, Ash!" Everyone said together.

Ash smiled. "Thanks, guys."

Then, he suddenly got a terrible feeling. It made him dizzy, lightheaded... And yet, there was something strangely familiar about it, too. What was it? What did it mean?

Ash glanced to the northeast, wondering why he felt something drawing him in that direction.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked, worried.

Ash shook his head. "It's okay, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about." But he really wasn't sure... He put a false smile on, and dug into his slice of cake. This made everyone else feel better, and soon the others were laughing, reminiscing, and having a good time.

Pikachu, however, sensed something still bothered Ash. But obviously Ash didn't want to think about it, so Pikachu dug into the cake, too.

_/...Dark things come./_

Ash abruptly put down his fork. It was the voice again, the voice from his dream.

"Pika?"

"Ash?" Delia asked.

Everyone was staring at him, but he couldn't speak.

_/...The way has been opened. The Chosen One must act quickly. Time grows short, and forever long.../_

"I... I don't feel well." Ash said, dismissing himself from the table and running inside his house.

He closed and locked the door behind him, crumpling to the floor and holding his head in his hands.

"Pika?" Pikachu stared up at Ash.

"I... I..."

_/...The Phoenix bids you to come, Chosen One. Time grows short... Decide quickly./_

"...The Phoenix?" Ash asked. "What the heck?"

"Pika Pika!"

The voice didn't return.

"It's okay, buddy, I'm better now." This wasn't entirely true, he still had the feeling of imminent doom. "Let's go make sure the others know that."

_I have to find "the way..." _Ash thought. _But where is it?_

_Northeast. _He realized. _Somewhere in that direction... But what, where?_

Suddenly, a vision came to him, the familiar walls of his home fading to a strange and unfamiliar place, far away... A green and forested town taking it's place, where a girl sat beneath an ancient tree, her eyes closed, deep in thought...

…

Rui opened her eyes suddenly. "Seth, I just felt a... disturbance."

Seth turned to her, concerned. "A disturbance, Rui?"

They were in Agate Village, outside Rui's grandfather's house. Not far from the Relic Stone, where Celibi was said to appear.

"Rui?" Seth asked.

"Something's not right..." Rui mumbled. She'd always been sensitive, and when Cipher had started creating Shadow Pokemon, she had been able to see the dark auras that surrounded them. Seth had reason to believe her when she said something was wrong.

"What is it?" He asked, worry written all over his face.

"The Relic Stone... I think."

"Let's go see."

They ran quickly to the Relic Forest that was hidden beyond some trees in the lower levels of Agate Village. It was a beautiful forest, but as they entered even Seth could feel that something was amiss.

When they came to the Relic Stone, they stopped in their tracks, jaws agape. There was a dark portal where the stone should have been, and glowing blue letters shone through the dark.

_The Phoenix awaits beyond._

Seth glanced at Rui, then made for the door.

There was a bright flash, and the letters changed.

_Only the Chosen One may pass._

"The Chosen One?" Seth asked, but he backed away from the door.

The letters returned to their original state. _The Phoenix awaits beyond._

"How strange..." Rui remarked. "I wonder who the Chosen One is, and what it means..."

"I bet your grandfather would know..."

"Yeah, let's go ask him."

They returned to her grandfather's house and told him everything.

"The Phoenix... and the Chosen One?" Eagun asked.

"Yeah." Rui said.

"Well, the Phoenix I can only guess at... but I seem to remember that Ho-Oh was considered a Phoenix Pokemon... Also, Phoenixes are considered a symbol of rebirth."

"Like how they burn when they die and are reborn from their ashes?" Rui asked.

"Exactly." Eagun chuckled. "Now, on the matter of the Chosen One... I believe I know exactly who it means."

"Really?" Seth asked.

"Yes. Not that long ago, there was a crisis. I'm sure you both remember when all the Pokemon started acting strangely."

Rui nodded, and Seth chuckled nervously.

"Er... Definitely." Seth smirked. "I was on watch duty for Snagem at the time... Man, that was awful..."

"Watch duty?" Rui asked.

"Yeah, you know... Watching after the... um... _acquired_ Pokemon..."

"Oh." Rui smiled. "Right."

Seth sighed in relief. Rui was probably the only person who didn't care that he'd been a part of Team Snagem, who steal the Pokemon of other trainers like Team Rocket... Though Eagun never revealed his feelings on the matter one way or another. Presumably, they were both content with the fact that he'd turned traitor and helped save Orre from the Shadow Pokemon.

"But what does that have to do with the Chosen One?" Seth asked.

"Well, during that crisis there was a boy who had been named the "Chosen One" for a festival... But he wound up fulfilling a prophecy that had existed for centuries. His name was Ash Ketchum... And I do believe he just might be the Chosen One this gate means as well."

"Ash Ketchum?" Seth asked. "Isn't he that trainer that won a bunch of tournaments and stuff?"

"That would be him."

"I could try to contact him." Rui said. "Where does he live?"

"Pallet Town." Eagun told her.

"Okay, let's get a message to Pallet Town as soon as we can, Seth." Rui seemed worried. "I think this is urgent. Pallet Town... That's west of Orre, right grandpa?"

"Yes, there are ferry services that come from Pallet Town to Gateon Port. That's not too far from Agate Village and Relic Forest..."

"I know, grandpa. I've taken the ferry before."

"Who could we contact in Pallet Town, Eagun?" Seth asked.

"Prof. Oak lives there... I bet he could find Ash."

"Okay, thanks." Seth and Rui headed for the Pokemon Center to send a message right away...

…

Ash blinked still leaning against the door of his house, and Pikachu looked up at him. He smiled.

"Looks like we're heading to Agate Village in Orre, Pikachu."

…

**Author: **This is a re-do of Unknown Origins. I was having a few issues with some stuff in that, so this is the edited version where I fixed them.

Dubbed "Unknown Origins" because I really don't know the origin anymore. It's changed over such a long time I've forgotten... Also, the sources I do recall are all over the place. The movies, the anime, the games... Including Collosseum, XD, and the Explorers series. So in short, I include whatever I think pertains to this, and leave out what I don't like.

To sum up what I said in the notes in the original version... This story has evolved many times over as I continue playing Pokemon and watching the old episodes and stuff. I like certain elements from the new, but loved a lot about the old Pokemon, too, things they got rid of that I'll never forgive. (Like Misty. She was an awesome character. I hated May at first, but she kind of grew on me a bit, but I still missed Misty. Now I don't even bother trying to reconcile the "new friends" anymore. Hence, they're kind of just stand-by in this story. Sorry if you like them. I'd rather acknowledge them, but not have them in the story per se, since I don't like them so much.)

I call the hero of Collosseum "Seth" because I like it better than Wes. I also like him and Rui a lot out of all the characters ever in the whole thing... I work elements from XD into this, too, as you'll see, but I got rid of the main character from that.

Also, I'm one of a small but growing cult of Pokemon fans who love Sir Aaron and the potential for greatness there with Ash... And also of the even smaller cult that have Aaron as Ash's father. Yes, that's right. I am a fan of CGo7's "Son of Aura." Rest assured, I had the idea before I ever read that, though, so it didn't really influence me much. (I hope.)

Anyway, enjoy. Leave a review if you will. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two:_

On the ferry to Orre, Ash stared out at the ocean, lost in thought. Misty and Brock had come along, but Ash had wandered away from them, not feeling like talking to anyone at the moment. Pikachu, too, was silent, understanding that Ash needed time to think, to collect his thoughts.

Ash had gone back to his birthday party and let everyone know he was okay. His mother especially seemed worried. Then an aide from the Lab telling the Professor he had received an urgent message... Which Ash already knew about. He let Prof. Oak go anyway, and when the Professor came back he told Ash to take the next ferry to Orre immediately.

Lots of Ash's friends had wanted to come, but he'd only wanted Brock and Misty. After all, they were the ones who'd been with him in the beginning... They'd known him before any of the others. It just felt right to bring them along... Besides, he didn't want any of the others getting hurt.

But Ash's thoughts were elsewhere now.

He was thinking about the one time his mother had told him _anything_ about his father. Sure, it pained her to think about him, but of course Ash as a child had asked the inevitable question once... "Mom, where is Dad?"

And he had done well to remember her answer.

…

Delia had met Ash's father one morning when a dark-haired stranger came to Pallet Town. In fact, he walked right by her house and the Pokemon Lab...

He had stopped for a moment to look at her garden, where she was working.

"Those plants look amazing." He said, his voice was calm and cool.

Delia blushed. "Why, thank you. But I can't take all the credit. Mr. Mime here helps me a lot."

"Mime Mime!"

He laughed, but the laughter belied sadness. "Well, of course. Pokemon make the best of friends."

Delia walked out the gate to her house and held out her hand. "My name's Delia. What's yours?"

He'd hesitated, then awkwardly took her hand and gave it a shake. "Uh... You can call me Aaron. Aaron Ketchum."

He released her hand, and stood there silently.

"I've never seen you in town before, Aaron."

"Well, I've... ah... been away for some time. Though..." He glanced around, awe temporarily flashing in his blue eyes, "I was born not far from here."

"Really? Are you a trainer then, who was off on a journey?"

"A... trainer? I mean... Yes, of course." He smiled.

"So... How long were you gone?"

Aaron hesitated again. "Ah... On my journey, you mean? Well... it took me months to go from town to town at times."

"From here to Viridian?"

"Viridian? ...I guess."

"So, where are you off to now?"

Aaron shrugged, sorrow in his eyes. He looked rather lost and forlorn. "I don't know. Things have changed a lot since I was last here... But I wouldn't mind staying here. I like this place... What's it called?"

"Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town." Aaron had smiled then. A true and happy smile.

…

Delia had gone on to tell her son other stories, of happy days the two of them had spent together. She suspected this was going to be the only time she would be able to speak of it, and she wanted to tell Ash everything.

She said Aaron always made her see the ordinary in an extraordinary way... That that had been one of the things about him she'd loved.

"Isn't it amazing, Delia?" He'd asked once, when the two of them had been returning from a late walk in the woods. It was sunset, and it was beautiful.

"What, Aaron? The sunset?"

Aaron had smiled. "No. The way those magic little lights are coming on as it gets dark. Isn't it wondrous?"

Delia had stared down at Pallet Town for a while, and she had to agree with him. The way the street-lamps twinkled on at nightfall, though completely ordinary, was somehow remarkably beautiful.

"Magic little lights?" She asked, grinning. "They're not magical."

"They are when I'm with you." He'd swept her up in his arms and, being happier than usual, had kissed her for the first time.

There were other stories, too, of course, but Ash remembered this one the best of all of them. Perhaps it was because he could almost see it happening... The way the lights came on as the sun set... Once, after hearing this but before he'd left on his journey, he'd gone to the very same hill at sunset just to see the scene unfold.

Delia had married Aaron less than a year after meeting him. Some people had scolded them for not waiting longer, but they both knew they were meant for each other. In fact, Aaron had seemed to worry often how long it would last. It was as though he had seen what was coming even then, and had been fighting against it. But that was impossible.

...

Finally Delia had come to the last story. How Aaron had disappeared.

It was a year to the day since he'd come to Pallet Town, and the weather had been fair and good, and was supposed to stay that way for some time.

Aaron had been quiet that day, thoughtful. Not unlike he had been exactly a year before.

In the afternoon, Delia had found him standing on the beach, looking out to sea. His expression was dark and brooding, and he seemed to be looking farther than his eyes could see.

"There's a storm coming." He'd said.

"Don't be silly." Delia had laughed nervously.

Aaron had turned to her, and taken her hands in his. "I mean it."

She had suddenly felt afraid. Very afraid. "What's wrong?"

Aaron had let go of her hands and looked away. "I love you, Delia. Remember that."

"What are you saying?" Delia had suddenly found her voice touched with anger, but the anger sparked from the fear. "You're not going anywhere!"

"No. No, I'm not." He sighed. "I don't know what I mean, Delia. Forget I said anything."

But she hadn't forgotten... And he had meant every word he said.

A storm _had_ come. It had baffled all the meteorologists. But Aaron hadn't even seemed surprised.

"Delia... I'm sorry. I'll come back if I can."

"Aaron!" She had shouted as he ran out into the storm.

But it was too late.

Not an hour after he'd left, the storm simply vanished. But Aaron never came back, and the next day search parties were sent out. They never found his body, but considering the circumstances... Two bridges and a dock had collapsed, and three streets had been horribly flooded... There was little hope for his survival, and the fact that he never showed up all but confirmed it.

Not long after, Delia had found out she was pregnant. When Ash was born, her only wish had been that Aaron could have met his son, too.

…

"Ash!" Brock called.

"Huh?" Ash said, shocked out of his thoughts.

"We're almost there! Didn't you hear? There was an announcement... Two minutes to arrival."

"Oh... No, I didn't hear. Sorry."

"It's okay, Ash." Misty said. "I mean, you have a lot to think about, I guess."

"You are feeling better, right?" Brock seemed worried.

Ash forced himself to grin. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Pika Pi?"

"Yeah, I do wonder what Orre's like." Ash agreed.

Brock looked at a pamphlet, frowning. "It says here that unlike most regions there are no wild Pokemon in Orre, and it's filled with dangerous thugs and outlaws. It also says there are a few gems in this region, such as Phenac City and Agate Village."

"Well... That doesn't exactly sound good." Misty sighed.

Ash chuckled. "Well, lucky for us we're headed for one of those "gems," Agate Village."

The trio of friends, plus Pikachu, looked to ahead, as they were just arriving in Gateon Port.

Another announcement came on. _"Welcome, travelers, to the Orre region. Enjoy your stay, and be sure to keep on the look out for criminal types! Watch your step as you disembark. Thank you!"_

With only a moment's hesitation and a quick glance back, Ash and friends left the ferry behind them. Little did they realize they were followed by a familiar group.

"Ugh. What do they mean by that? They make criminal type sound like a bad thing!" muttered James, wearing a typically bad yet apparently good enough disguise just like the other two. This time they were dressed as stereotypical tourists.

"Quit your idiocy, James! It is a bad thing, you stupid human!"

"Oh. That's right. Thanks, Meowth, I forgot."

"Be quiet, both of you!" Jessie said, silencing them with a smarting thwack to their heads.

"Ouch, Jessie... Did you have to hit so hard?" James frowned. "I wonder what the twerps are up to this time...?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Shut up and maybe we'll find out."

…

Seth and Rui were waiting at the Port.

"So, you guys are the ones who... uh... called Prof. Oak, right?" Ash asked, even though he already knew it was them.

"Yeah." Seth nodded. "And you're Ash, the "Chosen One." Right?"

"Yep." Ash grinned, rubbing the back of his head with both hands. "That's me."

Brock and Misty sighed. "Don't get all big-headed, Ash..." Misty said.

"Well, come on, I'll take you to Agate in our... car."

They followed Seth and Rui to the car, while Rui explained that Seth preferred to drive a strange one-wheeled motorcycle.

"Whoa, cool!" Ash said.

Seth smirked. "Yeah, but there's no way you would all fit. Only room for one passenger."

Everyone got in the car and they were soon driving across the Orre desert.

"So, Ash..." Misty started, "What were you thinking about on the ferry?"

Ash snapped to attention. "Oh, uh... That's not important." But after a moment, he sighed and continued. "I was just thinking about my Dad, okay? I wish I could have met him... or know more about him... Or at least see a picture of him or something."

"You've never seen a picture of your dad?" Brock asked.

Ash shook his head. "It's weird... But for some reason no one ever took any of him."

"That is weird..." Misty said. "I wonder why not?"

Ash shrugged. "Dunno. But... I guess it doesn't matter anyway. He's dead."

Truthfully, part of Ash always had wondered if his father were alive after all. He suspected that he would until he found actual proof, part of him always would. But if Aaron Ketchum were alive, he would have come back long ago.

Finally, they arrived in Agate Village. In stark contrast to the desert around it, it was a beautifully green and forested town.

Seth explained to the trio about the events that had transpired in Orre a few years before. Ash and friends were quite shocked to hear of the Shadow Pokemon experiments being done by Cipher. "And we though Team Rocket was bad..." Misty remarked.

Behind a tree, where they were spying on the twerps, Team Rocket shared an annoyed glance.

"So, Celebi appears near the Relic Stone, huh?" Ash asked.

Rui nodded.

"I wonder..." Ash said, but he left it at that, only finishing in his mind. _...Is it the same one that brought Sammy to our time and let me meet him?_

"But there's no Relic Stone there right now..." Seth said.

"Right. There's some kind of portal." Ash nodded. "Let's see this thing."

Rui led the way to the Relic Forest, and the place the stone should have been. Team Rocket followed in secret, as confused by the situation as everyone else.

The glowing bright blue letters were still there. _The Phoenix awaits beyond._

"How strange..." Brock said.

"So, this thing will only let the "Chosen One" through, huh?" Ash asked. Seth nodded, demonstrating what he'd done earlier.

When he approached, the letters shifted. _Only the Chosen One may pass._

And then, when he backed away, they returned to what they'd said before.

"Well, Ash, your turn." Misty said, smiling encouragingly.

Ash stepped forward... And after a moment the letters flashed and changed.

_The path ahead is dangerous. Are you prepared?_

"I guess." Ash said.

"You'll have to go alone, Ash." Rui said. "Your friends can't go with you."

"Pika Pi?"

Everyone looked at Pikachu, then Rui smiled. "I think it will let you go, though. After all, you are very close to Ash... You're not a normal Pikachu."

"She got that right!" Meowth remarked, only to be whacked over the head by Jessie.

"Did you hear something?" Misty asked. Brock shook his head.

"Pika Pi..." Pikachu looked very relieved.

"Ash... Be careful." Brock said.

Misty looked at him and Pikachu sadly. "We wish we could come, you know... So don't get into trouble without us."

Ash was quiet for a moment, then he smiled. "Thanks, guys."

And then, Ash stepped through the door, Pikachu seated on his shoulder.

As soon as Ash was completely gone, the dark portal vanished as well, and the Relic Forest returned to normal. The Relic Stone stood as though nothing had happened. Everyone, Team Rocket included, appeared totally stunned by it's disappearance.

"So..." Brock sighed. "What are we going to tell the Professor and Ash's mother?"

...

**Author: **This chapter's still somewhat of a re-do of a couple of the older chapters. I wanted to work Team Rocket in. They appeared later in the other one, but I wanted them earlier.

This ending's a bit of a cliff-hanger (and sadly the next one may take a while due to more editing needed... Sorry.)

Rest assured, I do have the whole thing planned out, though, and I do plan to finish it eventually.

See you next chapter!

**Smasher. The-Keyblade-Bearer: **Thanks for the review! As you see this chapter, the portal is really just for Ash, but Pikachu goes along to. (Of course.)**  
**

**Aquila of the Solaris: **Well, thank you! I do plan to continue, but right now I'm working with other things, too. I'm pretty busy, honestly.**  
**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three:_

Beyond the portal, Ash and Pikachu were surrounded by darkness.

"Piiiika!"

"Hang on, buddy!" Ash screamed, holding Pikachu close. "We'll make it!"

_I know we will!_

Ash closed his eyes, and suddenly a strange calm settled over him.

There was glowing blue light everywhere, radiating from everything.

"...Aura!" Ash realized suddenly. His eyes flew open, and the vision vanished. "I was seeing Aura..."

He remembered some events that had happened over his journey after the Lucario incident... How he'd tracked down the kidnapped Riolu, how he'd sealed Spiritomb away, and meeting Riley, the only living person Ash knew of who could manipulate Aura...

Of course, ever since he'd used Aura before Lucario died, Ash had known he could call on the powers again if he had to... But he still wanted to be a Pokemon Master, not a Guardian of Aura. And he hadn't known what to tell his friends, so he'd tried to keep it a secret as much as possible.

"What am I supposed to do...?" Ash cried out.

_/Follow your heart./ _The voice again.

"What?"

_/The Aura will guide you to where you need to be... But you must use it, or you will be lost! This is your first test. Do not fail... For to fail is to die, Chosen One./_

"I...?" Ash started to protest, but then he went silent. He closed his eyes again, and waited for the calm to return.

This time, he didn't pull away in shock or fear... He opened his heart and mind to the Aura around him.

In a flash, he was somewhere else. A place that was very dark and ominous, where nothing lived and everything was deathly still... As though time itself had halted, and darkness had consumed everything.

"What...? What is this?" Ash asked, his voice echoing across the forsaken lands.

_/What will be, if we fail. Heed this warning, Chosen One. Heed it well./_

Suddenly Ash was back in the strange, Aura filled stream again. "Pika Piii?" Pikachu cried out.

"Shh, Pikachu. It's okay..." Ash said. _I hope it's the truth._

_/Remember what I told you./_

Ash clenched his teeth together, closing his eyes and using the Aura once again. It was easier this time. Then, reaching out, he saw something strange. A familiar Aura... One he'd seen before, once.

He focused everything on that Aura, and it came closer... and closer... until he was free of the darkness at last. He landed hard on a hard stone floor somewhere, but at least he was alive.

Opening his eyes, he smiled at Pikachu, who was fine, too.

"Pika?"

"Well, looks like we both made it." Ash smiled.

"Congratulations." A rough and familiar voice said.

Ash and Pikachu looked up at the same time. They were in some old building, that much was obvious, and there was something familiar about the architecture... But the first thing Ash noticed wasn't that. It was the source of the voice, the bearer of the Aura that had guided Ash...

"Lucario!" Ash grinned. "You're alive!"

Lucario smiled weakly. "...Yes, Ash. And I'm not the only one."

"Huh?" Ash asked, dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what he said." Another voice said, from above them, just as someone jumped down into the room.

It was Sir Aaron.

…

Sir Aaron smiled at Ash and Pikachu, walking over to them. His clothes were different, more modern but still very similar to the ones he used to wear. "Lucario told me all about you, Ash."

"He did?"

"Yes. It was a very intriguing story, too." A puzzled expression crossed his face. "Do you realize how rare it is for two people to have the same Aura?"

"But we do, don't we?" Ash asked.

Sir Aaron and Lucario shared a glance, eyes darkening. "I wish I could tell you." Sir Aaron sighed. "But alas, I can't."

"Why not? You can see other people's Auras with your skills!"

Sir Aaron shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. That is... not any longer."

It was Ash's turn to look puzzled.

Lucario sighed. "We aren't exactly... well..."

Ash still said nothing.

"Ash, Lucario and I are very ill... Dying, in fact," Sir Aaron said, quietly.

"Dying?" Ash asked, shocked.

Sir Aaron smirked glumly. "Why so shocked? We were both supposed to be dead anyway... We're lucky we're even standing here right now."

"But... How?"

Lucario looked at Aaron, who gave a slight nod. "Well, Ash, it's rather complicated... But I'll try to explain. See, both Aaron and I transferred all of our Aura into Mew... Which should have caused us to die not long after. But for some reason, instead of dying we shattered into a bunch of dust..."

"Yeah... I remember that happening to you, Lucario."

Lucario nodded. "And all that dust floated around for a while, but eventually all of it came to the same place. Here, actually, in Rota. And that's how both of us woke up, only it happened to Sir Aaron several years ago... Right, Sir Aaron?"

"Right," He agreed. "...I woke up here at Cameron Palace, several centuries after the incident at the Tree of Beginnings that should have killed me." For a minute, Aaron's eyes were distant, as though he were thinking of something else. But he soon returned to the present. "However, there is a problem."

Lucario sighed. "Our Auras are still depleted, and slowly running out. We don't know much more about this "Aura sickness" except that it was caused by us sacrificing our Auras to Mew... and that it is fatal."

"You mean you don't know of a cure?"

"Not yet," Aaron sighed. "We're looking for one."

Ash sighed. "Well, that isn't good... Any chance I could help you guys?"

"Pika Pi!"

Ash jumped. "Oh, right! I almost forgot! I'm supposed to be looking for some "Phoenix" thing. I had a... vision... about it, and the gate mentioned it, too."

Lucario looked at Sir Aaron, whose eyes darkened. "Well, actually... Yes. The Phoenix _does_ need help..." Aaron said.

"You know what it is?"

"Both who and what," Aaron said, smiling. "See, the Phoenix actually could refer to two things... One of them is the Pokemon Ho-Oh, which would make sense because Ho-Oh has been captured by Cipher. The second... Well, the second is me."

"Some people call Sir Aaron "the Phoenix" because he returned to life from the dust of his old self."

Ash nodded. "I guess that does make sense. But what do you mean Ho-Oh has been captured by Cipher? I thought they were defeated... Weren't they? Why would they want to capture Ho-Oh?"

Sir Aaron shook his head. "They don't just want to capture Pokemon, they want to do awful and horrible experiments on them that seal their hearts away, making them evil. They've been perfecting their methods, and though their plans have been thwarted several times, they have returned with a vengeance..."

"We don't know what they're up to, but they're seeking out the most powerful Pokemon," Lucario added. "The more powerful, the better to take control of everything."

Sir Aaron's eyes lit in anger. "Yes, but they went too far when they stole away Ho-Oh and Mew."

"They have Mew?" Ash asked. "What are we supposed to do?"

"If only we knew..." Sir Aaron sighed. "Lucario and I do all we can, which isn't much, I'm sorry to say. We're forming a team of... exceptional... trainers to fight Cipher."

"Master, we're talking Ash's ears off. Don't you think it's a bit much for him to take in?"

Sir Aaron chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Forgive me, Ash. Why don't I introduce you to our friends?"

"Sounds great!" Ash said. "Do I get to join?"

"I think you qualify as an exceptional trainer, Ash."

He led Ash and Pikachu down the hall, to a huge underground sanctuary.

"Welcome to the Citadel," Aaron said, smiling. "It's a secret fortress hidden beneath Cameron Palace. It was built sometime after the incident that happened in the past, in case such a situation should arise again." He sighed, before continuing, "I've been trapped here, unable to return to my own time and place because of the Aura Sickness... Time travel could kill me if I attempted it."

"That's awful," Ash said, thinking about how badly Sammy had wanted to return to his own time... How badly he would want to go home, if he were forced to stay away from his.

Aaron led Ash down into the main room. There were several trainers gathered here, all doing some sort of task. There was a kid under a piece of equipment, working on it. Ash could only see his feet. Another trainer was training a group of Pokemon. The red-headed boy seemed harsh, but the Pokemon he was working with seemed to truly respect him.

Aaron smiled at him. "Training going well, Silver?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm just about ready," Silver met Ash's gaze, and Ash frowned at the shadows lurking in Silver's demeanor. "I'm still not good enough, though. Not by a long-shot."

Aaron shook his head. "You know better, Silver. You're doing fine. You weren't chosen for no reason."

Silver frowned, turning away. "Yeah, well... I'm used to being overlooked. Crobat! Sneasel! Double the effort! You too, Typhlosion!" The Pokemon responded to Silver's commands as though it were second nature to them.

As Ash, Aaron, and Lucario walked away, Lucario shook his head. Aaron shared a glance with his friend and partner. "What is it?"

Lucario sighed. "Silver's good, don't get me wrong... But his past is troubled. It worries me."

Aaron shrugged. "His heart is in the right place. The rest will come in time."

Next, there was a girl sitting at a desk, working with a Cyndaquil. Unless Ash were mistaken, she seemed to be talking to it. She had blond hair that was tied up in pigtails that for some reason made Ash think of a Pikachu's ears...

Ash looked at Lucario in confusion.

"Pika." He said, smiling. "Why don't you go say hi to her, Ash?"

Ash walked over to the couch. Indeed, the girl was talking to it... but not exactly the way Ash had thought.

"Pika Pi?" She asked.

"Cyndaquil!"

She laughed. "Pika Pika!"

"Excuse me?" Ash asked.

The girl started. "I didn't see you there!"

"Cyndaquil." The Cyndaquil looked amused.

The girl shot the Cyndaquil a mildly annoyed look. "No, Firebolt, I doubt my Dimensional Scream ability should have warned me."

"So, his name is Firebolt?" Ash asked. "Is he your Pokemon?"

"No, he's my partner," she said. "But yeah, his name is Firebolt."

"I'm Ash... and you're Pika? Is that your name?"

She nodded. "It's what everyone calls me, anyway. When I was little I wanted to be a Pikachu when I grew up, so people started calling me Pika, and it stuck."

"That's cool."

"Is that Pikachu yours?"

"Yeah, he is," Ash grinned. "Pikachu's always been one of my best friends."

Pika smiled at him. "Cool. Firebolt and I have been friends for a little while now... Ever since we first met each other."

"Pika, why don't you tell Ash about your abilities?" Aaron suggested.

"Can she use Aura, too?" Ash asked.

"No," Pika said, "But I do have some special skills. See... I can understand all Pokemon because... Well... I've been one before."

Ash started. "You've _what?_"

Pika grinned sheepishly. "See, I'm originally from this awful timeline where time itself is forever stopped... No seasons, no wind, no sunrise..."

Ash swallowed, feeling very faint all of a sudden as Pika's words recalled the horrible place the voice had shown him. _/What will be, if we fail. Heed this warning, Chosen One. Heed it well./_

Pika was still talking, though, and Ash tried to hear what she was saying. "Me and my old partner Grovyle vowed to save the world, even if doing so and changing history meant we'd cease to exist," For a moment, Pika's eyes clouded over. "We got separated, and I fell through time to a place where only Pokemon live, no humans... And while I stayed there, I wasn't human anymore. I was a Pikachu, just like your partner."

"Really?" Ash tried to sound unworried.

"Yep," Pika smiled. "I have another ability, too... It's called the Dimensional Scream."

"The what?" Ash was becoming increasingly confused.

Pika sighed. "It's complicated... But just think of it as a sort of telepathy that allows me to see either the past or the future of something or someone when I touch it... And when I have a trusted partner with me."

Ash thought about this for a moment. "I can see how that would be useful..." His brow wrinkled as he struggled to compute everything Pika had said. "So you're from a future that no longer exists? Shouldn't you be... You know..."

"Gone?" Pika asked. "Yeah, I should be. But Dialga pitied me and Firebolt, so he distorted time so that I could come back."

Suddenly there was a crash and Ash turned around to look. Sir Aaron had collapsed and was coughing uncontrollably. "Master!" Lucario shouted, worried.

Ash ran to Sir Aaron's side. Finally, just when everyone was really scared, the coughing quieted.

"...Water. Please." Sir Aaron whispered. Lucario ran to get some.

"What just happened?" Ash asked.

Sir Aaron smiled weakly. "The sickness, Ash."

Lucario returned with a tall glass of water, and Aaron drank it slowly. He sighed weakly when it was drained. "Better?" Lucario asked, and Sir Aaron nodded.

"Does this happen often?" Ash asked.

Sir Aaron shook his head. "Only recently... And only to me. Lucario isn't as... progressed... as I am. I've had it for years, he hasn't even been here for one year yet. But it's working faster on Lucario than it did on me... He's already shown signs beyond the initial ones, and it took more than a year for that to happen to me..." Aaron's eyes took on the distant look again, but he shook his head and stood up carefully.

"Do you have any idea why?" Pika asked.

Aaron looked at her, then nodded. "Lucario's a Pokemon. It probably affects him differently... Besides that, Aura relates to the heart, and... There are many factors that could have helped me."

Ash looked from Sir Aaron to Lucario, and then to Pika. First, his expression was sad, but then it turned to his trademark determined look.

"I'm going to help you. I _have_ to."

...

**Author: **The editing for this chapter took a lot longer than I thought it would. Argh. This is the one where the bigger changes start happening (like their location being Rota, and Silver being there already) so the parts I wanted to keep had to be altered to fit the new plotlines. Hopefully it's all still coherent. (I'm pretty sure it is, though. I spent extra time re-reading through it to make sure it made sense.)

Thanks to my reviewers! (It means a lot, really.)

I'll try to update asap. I do promise it won't take as long as this one did next time.

See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four:_

That night, Lucario led Ash to a room he could stay in for the time being. It looked a lot like his own bedroom back in Pallet Town, and he felt a wave of homesickness all of a sudden.

"What is it, Ash?" Lucario asked.

"Oh, nothing. This just reminded me of home for a minute..."

"I know that feeling." Lucario said, smiling sadly.

Ash smiled, too. "Yeah, I guess you would."

"If you need anything, Ash, don't hesitate to ask... I know you've been through a lot today. Just try to get some rest... Aaron and I will be working with you more tomorrow."

"Heh, I bet it'll be easier to sleep tonight than it was the day before I started my journey... Mom had to force me to go to bed then!"

"Your father, too?" Lucario asked.

Ash's face darkened, and Lucario picked up sorrow and longing in his Aura. Also, in a flash, Lucario had a vision of Ash's past.

"I don't have a father. He died before I was born... Heck, he died before Mom even knew I was _going_ to be born..."

"I... I'm sorry, Ash."

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"Well, goodnight." Lucario said, closing the door.

Soon, Ash and Pikachu were fast asleep.

…

"_That's right... I'm Ash! ...And now that I'm ten, I finally get to start my journey!"_

_Ash said as he put on first his gloves and then his hat._

_The television was blaring, showing a live Pokemon battle. "This looks like the end for Nidorino... No wait, Nidorino's trainer withdrew it from battle! What Pokemon will the trainer send out next... It's Onyx everyone! Onyx is all about the attack..."_

"_Ash Ketchum!" Ash's mother slammed open the door._

"_Wha- Mom?"_

"_You should be in bed by now! It's eleven at night! Tomorrow is a big day for you... You need your __rest."_

"_But Mom, that's just it... I can't sleep..."_

_She sighed. "Fine. But at least watch something educational." She changed the channel to Prof. Oak's own station, where the Professor was talking about the starters tomorrows group of ten year olds would be able to choose from. "And when this goes off, go to bed."_

"_Okay, Mom."_

_Sure enough, once he closed his eyes it didn't take too long for him to fall into a deep sleep full of dreams of the adventures that awaited him after he began his journey the next day..._

…

Lucario took his time returning to the main room, where Sir Aaron sat at a large computer watching the broadcasts. "What's the matter, Lucario?" Aaron asked.

Lucario couldn't help but think of the time Aaron had said that in the past, before sacrificing himself to the Tree of Beginnings. "Nothing, master. I just... Saw a vision of Ash's past."

Sir Aaron turned away from the computer, concern in his eyes. "What kind of a vision?"

"The day before he began his journey... It's a strong memory for him I guess. I probably triggered the exchange..."

"That's odd," Sir Aaron frowned in confusion. "You shouldn't be able to have seen anything. The sickness suppresses our powers. I myself should have realized something was amiss when I first came back, being unable to use Aura... But I foolishly thought that I'd just lost my powers when I came to this time."

Lucario smiled. "Master, I think it was Ash's Aura that sent me the vision, not my own."

"That would explain it." Aaron turned back to the computer. "What you told me about him is astonishing... I wonder how he never realized his true abilities before meeting you? Children with such strong powers of Aura rarely grew up without some odd events occurring around them."

"I don't know either," Lucario muttered. Then he brightened up. "But you could find out more!"

"What?" Aaron asked.

"He's an incredible trainer, master, I'm sure there must be records of what he's accomplished."

"Ah, but we'd have to know his full name to look into that... All we have is Ash."

"His last name is Ketchum. I just found out." Lucario said happily. Sir Aaron, strangely, was quiet. Lucario's brow wrinkled as he saw Aaron's face go a shade paler. "Master?"

"Ketchum, you say? Are you sure?"

"Yes, master."

Aaron stood and walked over to Lucario. "Tell me everything you saw."

…

The next morning, Ash was awakened bright and early by the sound of knocking on the door to his room. "Hey, come on, get up already!"

"On my way!" Ash called, pulling on some shoes and putting on his cap. He opened the door to see Pika standing there, grinning like a Meowth, along with...

Ash stared at the boy standing next to Pika in utter shock.

"Sammy! You mean you came here, too?"

Sammy grinned. "Yeah. It's been about six years since the whole time-travel incident for me, and I had just gone home to Pallet Town when Celibi appeared again, looking really worried, and brought me to this place."

Ash laughed. "Wow, really? It's been that long for me, too..." Then he did a double-take. "Wait... Did you say... Pallet Town?"

Sammy shot him a confused look. "Um... Yeah? Why?"

"That's my hometown, too!"

"Whoa! You can't be serious!" Sammy shook his head in shock. "Then... Maybe... Do you know anyone with the last name Oak?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, my rival, Gary Oak. He's my age... And of course his grandfather, the Professor."

Pika laughed. "That's funny. That's our code-name for Sammy 'cause he's so smart."

Ash and Sammy looked first at Pika, then each other in silence. "Sammy? I never thought about it before, because I was expecting something else... But the Professor's name is Samuel."

"Yeah, but everyone calls me Sammy."

Ash grinned. "Then... Remember that Pokedex I showed you? You invented it!"

Sammy shook his head, grinning. "Whoa. Talk about a time paradox..."

Pika chuckled, "Man, this is just great. Ash, you could loan it to him, and he could..."

Sammy laughed. "No thanks, Pika. I'd rather figure it out on my own. I've already been working on a prototype a bit. Besides..." He smiled at Ash again. "Aaron was looking for you, Ash. He said he wanted to help train you in the power of Aura."

"Sounds great," Ash said, smiling.

On the inside, though, he was a little doubtful.

…

Sir Aaron was on the computers, still watching the broadcasts for any sign of Cipher's plans. But, that wasn't the only thing he was watching, as Lucario discovered when he walked in to check on his friend before Ash came by.

"Lucario, look at this."

On the screen, there were several videos and images of Ash Ketchum, showing some of his greatest moments.

"See, master? I told you he was incredible."

"And you were right... He's won so many competitions, and come runner-up in many more." There was a tone of pride to Aaron's voice.

"Master, is there something you're keeping from me?" Lucario asked, certain that there was something different about his old master. Something had changed him since Lucario had last seen him, that dark day over one thousand years before...

Aaron became quiet. There was a thoughtful look on his face. "Lucario... There _is _something I've been meaning to tell you... You and everyone else. But I think I want to wait until Ash gets the hang of things around here. I... I need more time to think."

"All right, master." Lucario said, smiling slightly.

Just then, there was a knocking at the door. Lucario glanced at Aaron, who hadn't budged from his seat, and shrugged as he went to open it. Aaron already knew who it would be, of course. He only had moments left before...

"Hey, Sir Aaron. You said you wanted to see me for training?"

Sir Aaron turned to Ash, smiling. "Yes, Ash. That's right. Come with me," Aaron said, standing up and gesturing for Ash to follow him out to the hall. It lead upwards, all the way to the palace, and that was where Aaron intended to take Ash to train.

Lucario watched them until they vanished around a corner, and it started to dawn on him exactly what Aaron had been keeping secret.

…

Soon enough, Ash and Sir Aaron made it to the training grounds. Aaron turned to Ash, a thoughtful look on his face. "Lucario told me that your first time using your powers was after you met him, to save the Tree of Beginnings."

"Yeah, that's right."

Sir Aaron nodded. "And you never had any strange experiences before then?"

Ash laughed a little. "Well, that depends on what you mean by that. I never thought I had special powers, but I always get into strange situations. You wouldn't believe how many times I've saved the world over the years..."

Aaron smiled at Ash, a slightly worried look on his face beneath the pride. "Oh, I would. I actually was just watching some of your more impressive feats on the computers. You've got a lot of accomplishments under your belt for a sixteen year old, that's for sure."

Ash grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, I guess that's true. It just comes naturally to me, though."

Aaron nodded. "Lets hope the same can be said of your Aura abilities, then. Have you ever used them since what happened with Lucario?"

"Yes, once." Ash said, thinking. "To help a Riolu that had been kidnapped. I could sense it's Aura even when it was far away from me."

Aaron nodded. "Good. It isn't completely new to you, then. That ability you used then is called Aura Sight. The ability to see without seeing by sensing the Auras of everything around you."

Ash nodded, and Sir Aaron went on. "All things give off Auras, but living creatures have brighter Auras than inanimate objects. And plants, though living, give off weaker Auras than people or Pokemon."

Ash nodded again. "That makes sense."

"People and Pokemon who have the ability to control Aura have the brightest Auras of all. The stronger the ability, the brighter the Aura. The elders in my time told me that my Aura was the brightest they'd ever seen, that I was a prodigy. The same can be said of you."

"Really?" Ash asked. "It's that special?"

"Yes," Sir Aaron frowned a little. "Which is all the more reason that you need to be trained properly. See, children can be born with latent Aura abilities that will never awaken unless they are trained—only a Guardian would recognize their potential skill. Otherwise these people could live their entire lives unaware of their abilities.

"On the other hand, there are children born with abilities so strong that they will manifest themselves at some point even without training. If left unchecked, they could hurt themselves or others without meaning to. The Guardians always searched for such children in the past, because it was too dangerous to leave them alone and untrained."

"So, you're telling me that I fall into the second group? The people whose powers would awaken no matter what?" Ash asked, concerned.

"Yes," Aaron nodded. "Which is why you're very lucky that you met Lucario—had he not given you the pointers he did and help you awaken your powers for the first time in a controlled manner... You could've done a lot of damage."

Ash swallowed, obviously uneasy. "Sir Aaron, why is it that I'd never even heard of the Guardians before I visited Rota and Cameron palace? If it's so dangerous to leave powers of Aura unchecked... Why did no one come looking for me?"

Aaron's face darkened. "I wish I knew the answer, Ash. Truly, I do. But it appears that the Guardians are a thing of the past. Children with such strong powers are unheard of in this time."

"Then why do I have such powers?" Ash asked. "Does it have something to do with me being the Chosen One?"

Aaron shook his head. "I'm sure that the powers you were born with affected your destiny—it's entirely possible that you are the Chosen One because of your powers—but children aren't just randomly born with such powers."

"I don't understand," Ash sighed, shaking his head.

Sir Aaron took a deep breath. "Ash, powers of Aura are genetic. Children of Guardians almost always became Guardians themselves. The reason you have such a strong Aura... Well, it's because you inherited it from someone with an equally strong Aura."

Ash stared at Sir Aaron in total disbelief. "You mean... You're..."

Aaron smiled at Ash. "That's right, Ash. When I first awakened in this time, I thought I'd lost my powers... I thought it was a chance to live a new and different life. I met someone, and thought I'd be able to stay with her... But apparently the forces of the universe had a different fate in mind for me...

"But yes, Ash... In the past, people rarely called me by my full name. I went by Sir Aaron or just Aaron... But my name is Sir Aaron Ketchum."

"Sir Aaron Ketchum..." Ash said, slowly. Tasting the sound of it. "Dad..."

Then, suddenly, Ash hugged him. To Aaron's surprise, Ash was crying.

"Son?" He asked, as unsure of the word as Ash was of Dad.

"This is awful!" Ash sobbed. "All my life, I thought my father was dead. Now that I know the truth... It's worse than ever! You're alive, you've been alive all these years... But you're dying, and there's nothing I can do..."

"Ash..." Aaron sighed, cradling him. "There's still hope, you know."

Ash sat up and dried his face off with his sleeve. "Yeah. We'll find a way to save you."

His face was all determination again, and Aaron smiled with pride. Ash wasn't ever one to be let down for too long, and Sir Aaron had to admire that.

"Come on, Ash. It's time to begin your training."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Let's do this!"

...

**Author: **Okay, this is it. The last chapter that uses text from the previous version of this story. From here on out, this story takes a new direction, which means I'll be typing from scratch instead of editing. And trust me, editing takes a lot longer... Having to double check everything and make sure the information here is relevant and not leftover from some old plotline idea I'd had that I'm no longer following... and working in the new plotlines at the same time. Yeah. Not a lot of fun.

Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be updating this again... but it will get updated at some point in the future, I promise. I know where I'm going with this, the problem is just finding time to work on it.

Reviews are always appreciated!


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